$1.4 million grant for WA medical research

Collaboration among Western Australian medical research institutes and four of the public universities has brought significant funding to the region.

The grant purchased DNA microarray technology and should draw research efforts from South East Asia into Western Australia argues Professor Carroll, Director of the Western Australian Biotechnology Research Institute. WABRI will manage the first part of the equipment, which will be located at Murdoch University. The equipment, which has two sections, is one of three in Australia.

The technology will enable the design of drugs and treatments targeted at a particular disease. This is because the machine allows users to investigate the activity of known genes, determining whether they are active during different disease states and in the presence of a range of drugs.

The grant also provides for training and support, as well as illustrating the benefits of collaboration within the medical community.